WHY DO I CHOOSE TO DO A “LICENCIATURA IN CHEMISTRY” COURSE? UNESP FRESHMAN PROFILE AND MOTIVATIONS

The present work aims to investigate the profile and motivation that led students to enroll in the undergraduate chemistry courses of the four São Paulo State University campuses. Case studies were carried out at each of the campuses and a comparative study was carried out in order to outline the theme in question. The quantitative data was analyzed by descriptive statistics and the qualitative data was analyzed by Content Analysis. It was found that the majority of the students are female aged between 17 and 19 years and came from public schools; they do not have jobs, and they are at an intermediate socioeconomic level. The vast majority of students chose the undergraduate degree in chemistry because of their interest in the large field of knowledge, along with the reputation and prestige of the university. It has also been identified that the graduates are led to teaching careers for essentially intrinsic motivations based on altruistic values; however, the majority does not choose to pursue a career in basic education. Faced with the scenario of possible “teacher blackout” in High Schools, these findings claim an urgent public educational policy that promotes an effective valuation of the teaching profession in Brazil.